Coach Julien Stephan goes high with the new Strasbourg club
Strasbourg coach Julien Stephan must be rather satisfied when he looks at the table of the French championship and sees that he is one point ahead of his former club Rennes.
Even more so when he plans to help fourth-placed Strasbourg to their best league start in 25 years with 10 wins from the first 22 games.
At Rennes, Stephan’s attacking attitude helped him upset the odds by winning the Coupe de France against Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. He continued that with Strasbourg.
The Alsatian side, who host Nantes in mid-table on Sunday, have the second-best attack with 44 goals.
That’s only two behind league leaders PSG and three ahead of fifth-placed Rennes with the third-best attack. Stephan left Rennes last March after a loss of form and some differences of opinion.
But he had clearly caught the attention of Brittany-based Rennes by engineering league and cup wins over PSG, helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time and nurturing the talent of the midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. Camavinga became Rennes’ youngest ever player at 16 and is a French international who plays for Real Madrid.
“It’s important that the players feel valued,” said Strasbourg centre-back Gerzinho Nyamsi. “When a coach is interested in you, in how you feel, then you want to give more.”
Already regarded as one of the most astute coaches in the league, the 41-year-old Stephan’s success is all the more impressive given his speed. Moreover, he has hardly changed a team that played a robust and disciplined style for five years under former coach Thierry Laurey.
Stephan, however, made a shrewd move during the summer transfer window by bringing veteran striker Kevin Gameiro back to the club where he made his name before leaving in 2008. Gameiro, 34, has since scored regularly at Lorient, PSG, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Valencia, taking his club’s goal tally past 200.
Although not as quick or sharp as before, Gameiro is still dangerous and has scored eight league goals, including four in three games last month. He shares his precious experience with the imposing striker Ludovic Ajorque and striker Habib Diallo.
It is perhaps no coincidence that Ajorque thrives alongside little Gameiro, who opens up space with his clever runs.
Ajorque has a season-high 10 league goals, putting him third in the goalscoring charts along with PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Rennes duo Gaetan Laborde and Martin Terrier.
Ajorque, 27, is 6ft 6in (1.97m) tall and is a constant threat in the air from corners, free kicks and throw-ins. But he’s also remarkably mobile for his size and has good close control.
Diallo also has eight goals.
The trio benefit from a sedentary and experienced midfielder composed of Adrien Thomasson and Dimitri Lienard.
The versatile Thomasson has scored seven league goals – one less than his career best for a season. The hardworking and tenacious Lienard is in his ninth league campaign at the club and remains a fan favourite.
So far, their campaign is exceeding expectations.
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